Sacrifice comming from the Arke could neuer haue smelled sweete in the Lords nosethrils otherwise then he had that Fayth which respected Christ whom the Apostle stileth Osmen euodias the sweete oâ—â—ur Abraham Isaac Iaacoh had eye to no other meanes of saluation Israel before the Law some and some in Egipt came as Ezekiel 20. 5. c. to fashion themselues to the Idols there but Moses and Aaron were stirred vp to fetch them away to whom the Lord at Mount Horeb recommended the true forme of Sacrifice with rites peculiar to the land of Canaan And in Iudiâ— a part of Canaan they were continued till their deportation to Babel But then the outward Ceremonie ceasing for 70. yeares they notwithstanding looked to the promised Seed of the Prophets tearmed Messiah and Danâ—l in that place was foretold by the Angell of Messiahs comming to suffer for Sinne Seauentie-seauens of yeares before When he was come Iôhn Baptist poynted him out saying This is the Lambe that takes away the sinnes of the world for that it was Christ that was shadowed out vnder the Law by the Lambe offred morning and euening All which the Apostle teacheth the Hebrewes when he sayth that The Law was a shadow of good thinges signifying that these good thinges were in Christ. Yea to the Collossians he sayth that The body of such shadowes was Christ. I conclude then thus that that which is Essentiall or tendeth to the very Bâ—ing of A true Christian is not euery good thing but this one good thing Fayth in Christ Iesus for perfect Redemption Martha may combere her selfe about many things and in themselues otherwise prayse-worthy but this one thing is necessarie who with Mary hath choseÌ„ it hath elected the better part Iob in the land of Vz the Eunuch in Aethiopia Certaine in the Court of bloody Nero had their Iustification with God onely by this Fayth in Christ there being no other name vnder Heauen whereby as S. Peter teacheth man is to be saued As for Good-workes which necessarily doe follow true Fayth they belong not to the very-being of a true Christian seeing some one may be saued by the Fayth before he can come to do an externall good worke but such workes tend to the true Being of a Visible Christian. For as Fayth internall iustifies towardes God for Abraham beleeued and that was counted to him for Righteousnesse so Workes externall do iustiâ—ie towards man according to that of S. Iames Shew mee thy Fayth by thy Workes Sutable to which is that of Origen The Apostle sayth he saith that Iustification by Fayth ALONE is sufficient so that the belieuer whosoeuer he be is ONLY so iustisfied Whereto he addeth speaking of the Theefe on the Crosse The Lord requireth not of him what before he had wrought nor did expect what worke he should fulfill after he beleiued but being justified by soâ—e confession nameâ—y of Fayth he joyned him companion vnto him being ready to enter into Paradise Afterwardes againe Abraham might haue glory for his Workes with holy and just-men that saw them but this glory with God was Only by Fayth-secret And his Maister Clemens before him writ thus By Fayth alone the beleeuer is perfected For a Corollarie let Scholers take what followes Ignatius in Ep. ad Ephesios PrincipiuÌ„ vita Fides finis eiusdem Charitas Iustin. dial cum Tryph Purificamur fide Fides quae eÌ„ ad Deum iustificat hominem Clem. in Strom. 7. Per fidem efficitur Fidelis perfectus Aug. ad Bonifac. l. 3. c. 5. Nostra fides hoc est catholica fides iustos ab iniustis non operum sed ipsa fidei lege discernit quia Iustus ex fide viuit Then he numbers vp all kindes of workes but barres them out from iustification Chrys. in Gen hom 26. Causa bonorum omnium speaking of Noah fuit sua in Deum fides And the same Chrys. against the Iewes if that against the Iewes be his in orat 4. he hath this Christus non ex benefactis nec laborib nec pensatione sed ex sola gratia iustificauit genus nostruÌ„ Ambros. in Rom. 3. Iustificati sunt Gratis quia nihil operantes neque vicem reddentes Sola fide Iustificati sunt dono Dei Basil. mag de humilit Ea demum perâ—ecta Omnimoda gloriatio est in Deo quando neque propter suam ipsius quis iustitiam extollitur sed agnoscit se quidem vera destitui iustitia verum Sola in Christum fide iustificatum esse Et gloriatur in eo Paulus vt suam ipsius iustitiam contemnat Victor Antiochenus in Marc. 5. Haec disertè indicant vestimenta contacta eam non sanasse sed fidem Igitur neque locus neque verba neque aliud quippiam eiusmodi externum hominem saluat sed vnuÌ„quemque sua fides seruat Rabanus l. 7. in eccluÌ„m c. 2. Per solam Christigratiam ab omnis candalo liberantur Electi Remigius in Psa. 29. vita aeterna non est ex Merito quia cadere per nos potuimus sed per nos surgere non potuimus sed ex voluntate eius 1. sola misericordia Idiota cap. 6. de conflict carn animae Melius est iustificare quam creare cum creando detur Natura Iustificando vero et auferatur culpa conferatur Gratia Giselbert in Alterc c. 8. Iustitiam dei dico non qua deus iustus est sed qua induit hominem cum Gratis iustificat impium Theophilact in Rom. 10. Dei iustitia est quae ex Fide est Haec non indiget laboribus operibusue nostris verum tota ad gratiam dei pertinet Barnard ser. 3. de aduent domi Iustificabit nos Gratis vt Gratia commendetur And in Annunc Mar. ser. 1. Hoc est testimonium quod perhibet Sp. SS dicens Dimissa sunt tibi peccata tua Sic N. arbitratur Apostolus Gratis iustificari hominem per Fidem Rupertus in l. 7. in Iob. c. 7. In Iesu Christo nec circumcisio nec preputium nec Gentilis nec Iudaeus sed â—ola Fides requirituâ— Io. Bapt. Foleng in Psa. 2. Quae maioriam potesteeÌ„ cùm Iustitiae qua nos ex peccatorib iustos efficit non imputans peccata tum bonitatis demonstratio per quam aeternorum bonorum ad hereditatem Gratis inuitantur quodammodo vel inuiti trahimur And on Pl. 45. Video amarem namely of Christ video pacem video iustitiam qua ego Gratis iustificor per fidem Fulgent ad Monim l. 1. In sanctis igitur coronat deus iustitiam quam eis gratis ipse tribuit gratis seruabit gratisque perfecit Honorius in spec ecclus de nat doÌ„i Fides debet eeÌ„ fundamentum postquam â—am posueritis debetis ponere dilectionem dei proximi D. Io. Ferus in 1. part pass dom Fides facit discipulum Christi Charitas autem
their Euangelistes or both came hither it must necessarily follow first for that their commission stretched so farre they were set on worke him that would carry them to the end of their CommissioÌ„ Secondly the worke wrought proues it for otherwise Barbarians could not be Christians Thirdly Ecclesiastique Histories do record that we of any Iland were in the first place for receiuing the Fayth Whether Ioseph of Aâ—matheâ— or some other came with the Colonie it is euident that they came hither at the place then called Welles they are said to settle from whence by degrees the Christian fayth flowed through the Land And this by writing should begin about the yeare of our Lord 63. Afterwardes by grieuous persecutions the Church heere sowell as in other places began to be darkned For 300. yeares after Christes Ascention the infidelious Kinges of the earth did warre against him that ridde vpon the White Horse as S. Iohn foresaw in Reuel which brought vpon the wicked world fearefull iudgementes as were foretold in the sixt of the Reuelation In the necke of these grieuous Persecutions the Lord called Constantine the Great vnto the fayth wherevpon the Christians had a long time of Iubile and blessed reioycing But marke what accompanieth Peace Prosperitie People grew by little and litte to sleepe in securitie The Diuell neuer idle though neuer well occupied sowes Tares and all manner of Corruption throughout the Lordes possession that such spirituall Physitions as should after be raysed vp should sooner purge out the heart and intrailes of the Church then cleare her body of all the euill S. Paul saw this my sterie of iniquitie a working in his time and Plainely foretold that the last times should be Kairoj chalepoi mysticall Dogdayes iniurious seasons Nor can any great amendement be obserued in S. Iohns Reuelation but by the Rider on the White horse who in the last times makes his returne fighting with the beastly Aduersarie Reuel 19. conquering and so triumphing Wherevpon followeth the Iobilique halleluiah The poynt is plaine but the particulars belonging thereto are beyond my reach All that I can doe in this is to fall downe before his footestoole and reuerence CHAP. xiij Touching CHRIST IESVS the Churches diuine head CHRISTIESVS vnder that tearme The seed of the Woman Gen 3. 15. and so expounded of S. Paul Gal. 4. 4. being promised to Adam for the recouery of his fall before any other man was is therfore of the Apostle called Ho Eschatos Adam the latter Adam that is the Second Adam as Eschatos is opposed to Protos latter or last to first And because it should be knowne that the Second Adam howsoeuer from heauen in respect of his diuine Nature or rather Diuinitie should be true man as the first man was euen in our ioynt Natures of body and soule the Euangelist Luke draweth downe his Petigree from the first Adam by Sheth Aenosh c. to the very Virgin on whom he was conceiued by the Holy Ghostes ouershadowing and of whom she being of the seed of Abraham and Dauid as S. Mathew teacheth he was brone according to the flesh In which respect also against the heart of Anabaptists the Author to the Hebrewes sayth It is euident that our Lord sprong out of Iudah But that he was not onely man as the Iewes thought and our homebred Arrians haue taught but that he was as verily God in the first place as very Man in the second place not onely for Office but for the very truth of Nature than in Philip. 2. 5. c. plainely euinceth Let sayth the Apostle the same minde be in you that was euen in Christ Iesus who existing in the firme of God held it no robberie to be equall with God but voyded himselfe as laying aside the glorious appearance of the Godhead assuming the forme of a seruant made in the likenes of men and was feund in shape as a man In respect of his Humanitie he is the Melchitseâ—â—k that is without Father and in respect of this his Godhead he is that Hy-priest that is without Mother And in regard of his communicating so with God and man he is a fitted Mediator betweene God and man reconciling so in himselfe God with man comming downe by our Humanitie as by Iaakobs Ladder vnto vs and by the same steppes returning backe vnto the Eternall who in this assuming nature had his Beeing from euerlasting and not onely from the Beginning as in the beginning all thinges were made by him and without him nothing mae that was made And were it not that his humiliation was as low as mans pride ascended hie his embasement could be no sufficient plaister for our soare but our pride was such as of meere men in our fore-parents we would become Gods therefore one that was verily God must stoope downe to become verily Man And whereas the body of our sinne was as it may be spoken of a creature infinite and therefore should vnpayd for haue been subiect to an endlesse curse euen to the tormentes of Hell for euer hee being God infinite and eternall induring the curse of the Crosse did so by plaine merite in a trice swallow vp the torment that otherwise was due vnto vs. Nor could any but he that is very God make our Nature sufficient to such an vnder-bearing nor any one but he that should also with vs be very man giue in a proportionable sacrifice for the sinne of man to the answering of Gods iustice This to the Iew was a stumbling blocke to the Gentiles foolishnes but to the true Christian it is the power of God vnto saluation His names teach all this In respect of his Humanitie for with that is visible I begin he is vnto Adam called in valuation The Womans seed To Abram His seed restrayning the Virgin that should bring foorth this Seed to his line And because that Abrahams seed in his graund-child Iaakob was deuided into twelue Tribes or chief-families Iudah is plainly told that the promised Seed should arise froÌ„ his line and this vnder the tearme Shiloh which afterwardes was renewed vnto Dauid on whose line he should precisely be But not so promised to Salomon because he was not to come of him but of his brother Nathan Salomons seed ending in Iechoniah that went to Babel and there died seedlesse Whereupon the Lord taketh the Signet from him and puts it vpon the finger of Zerubbabel of Nathans line who finned Babel and brought out from thence to Ierushalem the Churches first returne of people who had there for 70. yeares been captiued To the Prophets the same Promise was renewed in all the formes aforesayd euen till such time as he was made of a Woman that blessed Virgin Mary betrothed vnto Ioseph but not carnally knowen vnto Ioseph In respect of his Diuinitie he is of Moses not onely called Aelohim a Nowne plurall giuen to Father Sonne and Holy Ghost but also
ocio juxta Babylonem Bethlehemetica forsuan Rura suspas Nor can he in this speach be thought to take Rome for Babylon in respect of time passed alone but that it was such for the time present else why should Fabiola sigh after Bethleems fieldes againe Andreas Archbishop of Cesarea in Cappadoce sayth the same thus Vetus Roma in Canonica B. Petri Babylonis vocabuso designatur And Ansbertus hath this S. Iohn vocat Romam Babylonem illam secundam And so minded be diuers others Some take the mysticall Babylon opposite to Ierushalem onely for such an vniuersall corporation of Christians as liue not according to the Ghospell or more plainely for the Multitude of Reprobates So doth Haymo and others And indeed I vnderstand a trueth to be in both For as S. Iohn in Reuelation 17. doth depaint out Rome â— first by the 7 Hilles according to no other Citie and secondly by this that it then raigned ouer the Kinges of the Earth which then Rome did it being the Monarchicall Citie so likewise that City-fornicatrix he sayth sitteth vpon the Waters which he expoundeth to be people multitudes and nations and tongues that is Nations not of one language but of many So that howsoeuer that Citie be the principall Seate or Sea yet true it is also that Multitudes of people abroad euen of sundry languages are of the the same body and corporation And seeing that body is called an Harlot which tearme properly is giuen to such a one as hath defiled the Mariage bed by ioyning her selfe to a Strange flesh and such a one no Christian can be that shakes not of Fayth in Christ for betrothing it selfe to some humaine inuention it necessarily followeth that all such people doe make vp that fornicating Body as seeke their iustification with God by any other meanes then by Fayth in Christ onely Nor can it intende the spirituall fornication which Heathen haue with their Idols seeing that is no Mystery or Secret but this is as S. Paul and S. Iohn call it And a Mystery must this needes be to hold Christ Iesus the Sauiour and yet vnderhand to seeke saluation by their owne worke much like to some Harlot that will fight and contende for her Husband and yet sometimes steale aside and say with her in the Prouerbes Stole Bread is sweete Such is my iudgment of this mysticall Babylon called also an Harlot ¶ For the Beginning and continuance of this Babel the cause standeth thus Satan that taught Adam to neglect the Tree of life and so consequently the Sonne of God in whom our life is hid taught him also to seeke a life God-like in his owne worke opposite to Gods appoyntment Heere was the beginning of Babel that is in English of Corfusiâ— for herewith not onely all thinges in Man but also Earth and all things in it became Confused and out of Order Cain his eldest Sonne continued this worke opposite to our great Shem by seeking happinesse in the outward worke of Sacrifice without Fayth in Christ Iesus howsoeuer he would be thought to haue Fayth in the blessed Seed promised to his Father in Paradise To Cain succeded others in the same euill going an whoring after their owne inuentions till the Flood tooke them away After the Flood Cham and Câ—naan reare vp this mysticall Babel againe whom Shems people after subdued as Noah fore-prophecied But the Duell hauing broched this Wine once he leaues not off till he made many in the Iewish Church euen the strict Pharises that ages Puritanes to seeke iustification with God by the workes of the Law Our Sauiour comming in our Nature taught the people to seeke life in himselfe and the Apostles afterwards inculcate the same Ghospell but the Diuell still raysed some vp in the Christian Church that reuiued the Pharises doctrine as specially may appeare by the Apostles Epistle to the Gaâ—athians In fine the Church of Rome deuiseth a number of workes as Oblations Pilgrimages Censinges Deuotions to Images with a thousand the like in doing whereof the doers should be iustified euen ex opere â—â—orato by vertue of the outward worke wrought And to merit at Gods hands by such sleighty workes doing it was so toothsome to flesh and blood as the Kinges of the Nations did readily receiue it and they drinking of that cup their people followed till the Harlots cup of Abhominations made them generally drunken So this opposite Ghospell begun so it encreased and so Babylon was erected ¶ Now for the fall of it S. Iohn in Reuel 17. foretelleth that the former Kinges shall in time arise against the Harlot or Malignant Church wherevpon in chap. 18. he seeth Babeis fall How this is effected he telles in the 19 chapter when he attributes it there to him that rideth on the White horse whose names or titles be these The Word of God the King of Kinges and the Lord of Lordes And S. Paul to the Thessalonians calling the former Corporation a Man of Sinne a Sonne of Perdition a wicked Man because they be all one in an opposition to Christ and his free-grace he declares that the Lord shall consume him with the spirit of his mouth that is by the power of his Ghospell For as the rising was by propounding humaine Fables and leaden Legendes the Ghospell meane time wrapped vp in an vnknowen Tongue so the fall of it wil be by preaching Christes Ghospell in euery Tongue as vnto such purpose to the Apostles were giuen all sortes of Tongues And that the walles of Babel haue been a falling in these partes of the World euer since the time of our Wickliff vntill this hower and that by no sword of man but by the two edged Sword of Gods Word experience and the worke already wrought to Gods prayse will witnesse Tut say the Romanistes the Opposers haue been till now of very late yeares very few weake and simple I answere al the liker to be of God the work wrought to proceed from the power of God for so Christ did conquer the World the Foolish confounding the Wise and the Weake ouerturning the Strong Had our Churches been Reformed by the number and might of man we should not so easily haue seene the power of the Ghospell That therefore which they call our Shame we hold our Glory Decus non dedecus And that the walles of this Babylon will quickly fall flatte on the ground whereby the very Tower of their strength may be easily surprised these Reasons perswade mee 1. First diuers of the Kinges which were as their Bulwarkes are fallen vnto our side and S. Iohn sayth that the rest will follow 2. Secondly as their Tongues at the literall Babel were slit wherevpon that worke declyned so it is well knowne to them that haue conuersed inwardly with them they grow more more deuided in the language of Diuinitie So that Ferus Granatensis Pinâ—us and many able amongst them haue much vnuayled the